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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

President Obama Confused about the role of Congress

White house- During a news conference regarding the debt ceiling, President Obama continually referred to members of congress as leaders and accordingly called on them to lead.

A lot of people say a lot of things to satisfy their base or to get on cable news. Hopefully, leaders at a certain point, rise to the occasion and do the right thing for the American people. That’s what I expect to happen this time. Call me naive, but my expectation is leaders are going to lead.

Much is wrong with this statement. First, the right thing to do for the American people in this instance is to not raise the debt ceiling. It is ludicrous to claim that in order to cut spending we should borrow more! If the President truthfully feels that this is the answer to our spending problem, I am inclined to agree with him, that he is indeed naive.

While his questionable views on economics are disturbing, it is even more bothersome that he feels members of congress are leaders. A leader is in charge of things. Most often it is the employer who is the leader. Members of congress are our employees. They are at most representatives and at least servants. As is the President.

Throughout Obama's first question and answer press conference since March 11, he perpetuated the notion that our public servants are leaders, and repeatedly insinuated they should cross the line of their job description.

If everyone else is willing to take on their sacred cows and do tough things in order to achieve the goal of real deficit reduction, I think it will be hard for Republicans to stand there and say a tax break for corporate jets is sufficiently important that we’re not willing to come to the table and get a deal done.

Of course the “corporate jet” remark was meant to demonize the rich, but his real point here is that members of congress should work together to get a bipartisan deal done. The problem is we did not send them to Washington to be bipartisan. We sent them to defend our liberties and uphold the constitution, which they swore on a bible they would do. As did the President.

Obama suggests that Americans were unwilling to give up weather reports and food safety inspections in order to continue tax breaks for big oil companies and evil rich people. Apparently, the weather would go unreported and the American people would be served dog food if not for the federal government.

This of course, is utter nonsense. The free market would obviously provide higher quality food service at lower prices if not bothered by the heavy hand of big brother, and for those who simply refuse to admit that the market works, local and state governments already do a better job of food inspection than does the FDA.

It is not the job of the federal government to provide weather forecasting and food inspection, nor is it their job to feed, clothe, or care for us. It is their job to defend the liberties of the individual citizen and nothing else. I am surprised Mr. Obama, a former constitutional law professor doesn’t understand this.

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